Projects

FCADV Rural Statewide Initiative
Survivors of domestic and sexual violence in rural areas are among the most isolated and vulnerable in the state of Florida. FCADV’s Rural Statewide Initiative is designed to enhance the safety of domestic violence survivors and their children who have been battered in rural communities. The Initiative is based on a community organizing model whereby community, judicial, and law enforcement partners come together to explore and implement strategies that provide coordinated, community-based services to survivors of domestic violence.

Rural areas face significant economic, geographic, and service barriers that make it difficult to create, strengthen, maintain, or expand victim assistance services. FCADV partners with certified domestic violence centers in rural communities to strengthen services to survivors in some of the most rural parts of Florida. Key components of each rural project include reducing the geographic and social isolation often experienced by rural survivors, developing a coordinated community response to address the needs of survivors, increasing batterer accountability, and creating culturally and linguistically accessible programs to address the needs of traditionally underserved populations in rural communities.

FCADV is currently partnering with the following community organizations through the FCADV Rural Statewide Initiative Project:

FCADV Rural/Underserved Project
The FCADV Rural/Underserved Project creates a unique opportunity for select Florida communities to increase theresources, services, and advocacy available to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking residing in rural and/or underserved communities. This project works to ensure needed services, programs, and environments are available which allow for appropriate, safe, and linguistically and culturally relevant services for survivors.

Survivors residing in rural areas face unique challenges to receiving appropriate service provision. The geographic isolation, economic structure, strong social and cultural pressures, and lack of available services significantly compound the problems confronted by those seeking support and services to end the violence in their lives. In addition, the same barriers create difficulties for victim service providers and other social services professionals in identifying survivors.

The FCADV Rural/Underserved Project specifically supports direct services for survivors in Florida’s most isolated communities. The projects work to enhance existing outreach services and promote an increase in intervention, advocacy and additional support services for survivors of dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and/or domestic violence by bringing linguistically and culturally appropriate service options to underserved communities in their service areas.

FCADV is currently partnering with the following community organizations through the FCADV Rural/Underserved Project: